


A Grimm and His Zauberbiest

by DoomedOTPs



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28462377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoomedOTPs/pseuds/DoomedOTPs
Summary: Post-series. Adalind dies in a car accident and Nick & Sean are forced to work together to raise Diana and Kelly.
Relationships: Nick Burkhardt/Sean Renard
Comments: 48
Kudos: 122





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm new to the Grimm fandom, but I LOVE the show and really wanted to write something with this pairing. They're fascinating together. This first chapter will be VERY brief, but I'll add more this weekend. Happy new year, everyone. 2020 can't end soon enough!

_It couldn't be,_ Nick thought. He must have misheard. They had to have called the wrong number by accident. Adalind couldn't be dead! Not his Adalind. _She was fine._ He had seen her a few hours ago, had kissed her goodbye before leaving for work. She had a deposition later today and had taken Kelly to work with her. _Oh God... Kelly! Was Kelly okay?_ Nick didn't know what he would do if anything had happened to his son. His innocent child who couldn't protect himself and would be completely helpless if someone or something were to attack him. 

"Nick!" Nick looked up into the concerned eyes of his partner. It was obvious that Hank had been trying to get his attention for a while now. "What's wrong, man?"

"Adalind's dead."

"WHAT?"

"I just got a phone call. The paramedic said that she's dead. Instant impact. She's dead, Hank. That's what he said. But that **can't** be right. She can't be dead! SHE CAN'T BE!" Nick shouted the last few words and several heads in the bullpen turned in their direction. 

"Nick, slow down. Let me see your phone. I'll get to the bottom of this." Hank took Nick's phone out of his limp grasp and hit "call" on the last number in Nick's recent calls list.

Hank spoke to someone on the phone for a few minutes. From his furtive glances in Nick's direction and his hushed tone, Nick knew it couldn't be good news. The room started to spin and Nick felt like his chest was being squeezed; he couldn't breathe. The last thing Nick thought of as his vision swam was that he had no idea where Kelly was and that it was his job - and **only his** job now - to know that.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Monroe and Rosalee were trying to keep their triplets calm. _Easier said than done,_ Monroe thought. Parenthood is hard, but it's harder when you have to deal with three babies instead of just one. Thankfully, he had Rosalee to help him. She was amazing with the kids. Somehow, she managed to raise the kids and run the spice shop. Monroe was sure that they'd have to close the shop down for a while, but Rosalee insisted that it was too important to keep the place open. There were very few places where wesen could go to get the help they needed in Portland and she wasn't about to turn her back on them. Still, running the shop was a full-time job and now that they had 3 kids, she couldn't exactly do it all by herself - even with his help it wasn't enough. So Monroe convinced her to hire someone to help run the shop so she could run home whenever she needed to. 

They had just managed to put all 3 babies down in their cribs for a nap when Monroe's cell phone went off. Rosalee's eyes almost popped out of her sockets. If looks could kill, Monroe would be six feet under right now. Using his long legs, Monroe quickly jogged out of the room and downstairs before picking up the call. It was Hank; when he explained why he had called, Monroe's annoyance quickly dissipated. The shock gave way to sadness. After hanging up, he found Rosalee and told her the terrible news. Rosalee kept shaking her head _no_ and as Monroe wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight, her tears began to flow. She sobbed into his shoulder as he found himself crying silently. 

_Poor Nick. He must be devastated_. They had to get to the hospital to see him. Monroe didn't know what he would do if anything happened to Rosalee. He couldn't imagine the pain and grief that Nick must be experiencing right now. Monroe called Bud and asked him if he could come and watch the kids for a few hours. He didn't explain why over the phone. No need to worry the eisbiber just yet. Bud panicked so quickly! Rosalee drove herself and Monroe over to the hospital and found Hank in the waiting room. Rosalee hugged Hank; no one knew what to say to each other for a while. 

"How's Nick?" Rosalee asked. 

'They had to sedate him. He was hysterical." Hank answered. 

"Where's Kelly?" Monroe thought to ask. 

"He wasn't in the car, thank God. He was at the office with Adalind's assistant. I'm gonna go pick him up, but I didn't want to leave Nick alone in case he woke up." Hank tried to hold back the tears that threated to fall again. "I'm glad you guys are here. He's gonna need all of us right now."

Hank then left to go and pick Kelly up. A nurse came to tell Monroe and Rosalee that Nick was awake. They looked at each other and sighed. This was going to be **brutal**. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read and especially to those who left kudos on the first chapter. I decided to expand and actually added quite a bit to the first chapter, so please go back and read it so you're all caught up before reading this second chapter.

Nick slowly blinked his eyes open as he came back to consciousness. His brain tried to catch up to his surroundings. There was a steady beeping sound and there were stark white walls around him. The smell of disinfectant was overwhelming. Nick's hazy mind caught up to his senses and he realized that he was lying on a hospital bed. There were tubes attached to his arms and his skin felt itchy. 

"Hey," a familiar voice gently called out to him. Nick looked over to find Rosalee and Monroe standing over him. "How are you feeling?" she asked him. 

"What happened?" Nick tried to say, but his voice was scratchy from disuse. He coughed and Monroe immediately leaned over to grab the pitcher of water on Nick's bedside table. He poured a glass and handed it over to Nick. 

"Here you go, man, drink this." Monroe coaxed. 

With some effort, Nick managed to take a few sips of water. "What happened? Why am I here?"

Rosalee and Monroe exchanged looks and for a few moments no one spoke. The couple looked nervous, as if they were afraid to broach the subject. 

Hesitantly, Rosalee began to speak. "You're in the hospital, Nick. You were brought in a few hours ago. Hank was here until about 10 minutes ago. He went to pick up Kelly." She paused and looked over at her husband, silently pleading for him to take over.

"Nick, do you remember getting a phone call earlier today?"

Suddenly, Nick's eyes grew bigger as he recalled the awful phone call. Someone had told him that Adalind was dead. He hadn't believed it. He still couldn't. Nick looked up into Monroe's eyes, which were filled with sorrow. He glanced over at Rosalee, who tried to surreptitiously wipe away her tears. Their reactions confirmed his fears. He hadn't imagined it; _Adalind really was dead_. For the first time that day, Nick let himself feel all the emotions that he had been trying to avoid. Denial could no longer offer him any comfort. 

As he broke down, Rosalee leaned over and hugged him, whispering soothing words. "It's gonna be ok. We're here for you. You're not alone," she kept repeating. Nick couldn't believe that this had happened to him. Someone he loved had died. **Again.** Would the pain never end?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About an hour later, Hank walked into Nick's hospital room. He was pushing Kelly's stroller and the little boy seemed fast asleep. Nick looked at his son's face, peaceful in sleep and without a care in the world. He was so young; he wouldn't understand any of this. _He probably wouldn't even remember Adalind!_ If he were a few years older, how would he react? How would Nick explain to him that his mother was gone? Adalind was a good mother and her kids loved her. Suddenly, Nick remembered that Adalind was a mother of **two.** _Diana!_ _How would Diana take this?_ Diana was a powerful child, but she was still a little girl. She would be devastated. But would she cause devastation in her grief? 

Nick asked Hank if anyone had told the Captain about what had happened to Adalind. He figured Renard would be the one breaking the news to Diana. Although, he wasn't sure that was a good idea. Hank told him that since it was the Captain's day off, he wasn't in the precinct when Nick received the horrible news.

"I doubt he even knows," Hank said.

"Well, he needs to know. And he needs to tell Diana," Nick responded. 

"Is that a good idea? Renard's not the most sensitive person and this is a really delicate matter," Rosalee chimed in. 

Monroe nodded in agreement. "I can't imagine him comforting her and successfully reassuring her that everything's gonna be ok. What if she freaks out and burns down the block?" Monroe paused and then his eyes grew comically bigger as he asked in a panicked voice, "Can she **do** that? Can she start fires with her mind and **actually** burn down her neighborhood?"

All the adults in the room felt dread pool in their stomachs as they imagined Diana's reaction. Nick was the first to speak up. "Whatever the consequence, we can't hide it from her. She's an intelligent little girl and unlike Kelly, who's a baby, she'll notice if her mom suddenly disappears from her life. So we've gotta tell Renard and I've gotta be there when he breaks the news to her. Can someone give me their phone? I need to talk to Renard and figure some things out before we destroy Diana's world."

Monroe handed his cell phone over and Nick dialed the Captain. Sean was surprised to see 'Monroe' on his caller ID. He figured it must be important if the blutbad was calling him out of the blue. Usually the clocksmith calls Nick and then the grimm handles the situation or gets Sean involved as a last resort. Nick and Sean had come to an understanding after that rooftop fight and after the events with Zerstorer, there seemed to be a détente between the two men. Their work relationship had gone back to what it was like before the whole 'working with Black Claw' fiasco, but their personal relationship remained strained. There was civility when they were in the same room - _for the sake of their children_ , Adalind had said - but Nick and Sean certainly weren't friends.

Sean was surprised to hear Nick's voice when he picked up the call. He was even more surprised when Nick told him to make sure he wasn't within earshot of Diana. Sean made sure his daughter was occupied by the cartoon she watching on the TV in the living room before making his way to the kitchen. Something told him that this wouldn't be good news.

"What's going on, Nick?"

There was an audible gulp over the line as Nick swallowed. "It's Adalind. She's- she's dead." Nick managed to get the words out, but his voice broke on the last word.

Sean stood very still for 5 seconds. He must have misheard Nick. There's no way the hexenbiest was dead. He had seen her last night when she came over to drop off Diana. Adalind had seemed perfectly fine. "What are you talking about, Nick? I just saw her last night. She was healthy and happy."

Nick scoffed. "Well, none of that matters when a drunk driver crashes into your car."

_Oh. She had been killed in a car accident._ Well that would explain it. But why was Nick calling from Monroe's phone? Was he injured in the accident as well? What about Kelly? _And since when did he care about the wellbeing of the grimm and his little spawn?_

"Are you and Kelly alright?" Sean asked, unable to help himself.

Nick seemed taken aback by the question. He assumed Renard would be nonchalant about Adalind's passing, especially if it meant that he could now have full custody of Diana. Nick cleared his throat and replied, "We're fine. She was alone in the car. Kelly was with her assistant at the office and I was at work. Look, I don't think we should keep this from Diana. I know you have her for the weekend, but I don't wanna wait 'til Sunday night to tell her. I'm gonna come over and we can tell her together."

Sean noticed that Nick wasn't asking for permission to come over. He had simply invited himself over to Sean's house. He wondered why Nick thought that Sean was incapable of delivering the bad news to Diana by himself. Although, if Diana had questions, it couldn't hurt to deflect and have Nick answer the tough questions. With that in mind, Sean replied, "Sure. Come on over. I'll see you when you get here." Sean hung up and awaited Nick's visit. 


	3. Chapter 3

Sean waited for what felt like forever, but was in actuality closer to 45 minutes. Finally, he heard a knock on his front door. To his surprise, it wasn't just Nick at the door. Eve was standing behind Nick. Sean looked down when he saw Nick adjusting the baby carrier from one hand to the other. Kelly was sleeping inside - blissfully unaware of the monumental tragedy his life had undergone earlier that day.

"What are they doing here?" Sean asked.

"I didn't want to be away from Kelly." Nick wistfully glanced at his sleeping son's face before continuing. "And Eve is here to calm Diana down. In case she loses control of her powers when she gets the news, Eve can counteract any... unfortunate scenario that may happen."

" _Eve?_ You brought Eve to _comfort_ my daughter while you tell her that her mother died? Eve's about as warm as an icicle!" Sean hissed.

"Look, we know how powerful Diana is and we **know** that we can't stop her - but Eve can."

"Stop her? What do you mean 'stop her'? She's a child - _my child!_ \- and I can control her," Sean snarled before he voged. 

Immediately, Nick's free hand reached for his holster. Meanwhile, Nick heard a snarl behind him and turned to see that Eve had also voged. The hexenbiest stepped forward and stepped up to face Renard. Despite their obvious height difference, Eve didn't seem to be even remotely intimidated by the 6'5" zauberbiest towering before her. "Look, Renard, this is a messed up situation and you two arguing isn't gonna help anyone. That little girl is about to have her heart broken and her world turned upside down. So why don't you two put away the rulers and find a way to put her first?" Eve spoke with an eerie calmness which only served to make both men feel unsettled. But they knew better than to argue with her. 

"Fine. Come in." Sean said. Sean then voged back and Eve did the same. They went inside and Sean gestured toward the living room. Diana was watching a cartoon and seemed to be enjoying herself. Nick felt guilty about having to ruin her night - and her life - with the bad news. "Hey, Diana. Look who's here to see you." Sean's voice pulled Diana's attention away from the TV and she smiled when she saw Eve. She looked puzzled to see Nick and Kelly though. Nick went to sit beside her and Sean sat down on her other side.

"Daddy, what's going on? Why is Nick here? I thought I was staying with you all weekend. Did mommy send you to come get me, Nick?"

Nick swallowed and exchanged a brief glance with Renard - who nodded at him to begin. "Actually, honey, you are staying with your daddy this weekend. And I'm here because I need to tell you something important. It's about your mom."

"Where is she, Nick?"

"She's gone, honey. And she's not coming back."

"What do you mean? Where did she go?"

Nick looked at Sean, silently pleading for him to take over, but Sean couldn't seem to make himself speak. Diana kept looking between Nick and Sean, wondering when one of them would speak and explain what had happened. When the silence had become uncomfortable Eve finally came and sat down on the coffee table in front of Diana.

"Diana, your mommy is dead."

" **What?** No. You're _lying_! My mommy's not dead. She's alive. Tell her, daddy! Tell her, Nick! Mommy's fine. Tell her!" Diana stood up mid-rant and the lights began to flicker. The furniture began to rattle and Nick stood to get closer to Kelly.

Eve put her hands on Diana's shoulders and spoke to the distraught little girl. "Diana, you need to calm down. You could hurt someone or yourself. Look, Kelly's awake and crying. You don't want to scare your little brother, do you? You're a big girl and his big sister. He needs you to calm down."

"She's right, honey." Sean finally chimed in. "I know you're upset. I am, too. But you can't just break things when you're upset. I'm here for you. So are Eve and Nick. And I need you to be a big girl. Be brave for your little brother, okay?"

After a minute, the lights stabilized and the furniture settled. Diana looked over at Nick, who was holding a crying Kelly and trying to comfort him. Diana used her powers to make Kelly float out of Nick's arms and into her own. Nick was about to protest, but Sean stood up and shook his head. They watched as Diana held her baby brother and whispered to him, "It's okay, Kelly. I'll never let anyone hurt you. I'll be the best big sister ever!"

Sean felt incredibly proud of his little girl. She was doing everything she could to be a supportive and good big sister. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. When Kelly kept crying, Nick stepped forward and suggested feeding him. Diana handed Kelly over and offered to heat up Kelly's bottle. Nick gladly accepted. Eve accompanied Diana to the kitchen and suggested they make some food for themselves while Kelly's bottle warmed up. Diana opened the fridge telekinetically and the ingredients for a turkey sandwich floated onto the kitchen island. She helped Eve prepare the sandwiches in silence and tried her best not to cry. Meanwhile, in the living room, Nick and Sean were discussing what to do going forward.

"Well, she's **my** daughter. Of course she's gonna live with me."

"Yes, but she's also Kelly's big sister. I don't want them separated right now."

"What are you saying? You want to take _both_ kids home with you? I don't think so, Nick. I already gave Diana up once. I **won't** do it again!"

Nick sighed. He knew he'd be having some difficult conversations tonight; he just didn't think that Sean would be more difficult to get through to than Diana. "Look, Renard, I'm not saying I want to take Diana away from you. And I'm not saying I wanna leave Kelly with you. I just think that - for now - we should all be under the same roof. This is a huge house. Kelly and I can stay in one of the guest bedrooms." 

"Are you inviting yourself into my home, Burkhardt? It's not enough that you wanted to break the news about Adalind to _my_ daughter - now you wanna **move in** with me?" Sean took a few menacing steps toward Nick as he continued. " _Why?_ You don't think I can raise Diana by myself? Or do you think I won't raise her the 'right' way?"

Before Nick could respond, Eve and Diana walked back into the room. Diana was holding Kelly's bottle of formula and Eve was carrying a tray with sandwiches and 4 glasses of juice on it. Diana offered to feed Kelly and Nick caved when he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. The adults ate in silence as Diana fed Kelly. She hummed a melody none of them knew. After Kelly was done, Nick took him and burped him. Eve coaxed Diana to eat half a sandwich and then they went back to the kitchen. For half an hour, Diana and Eve spoke in hushed voices in the kitchen. When they returned, Diana looked exhausted. Sean decided it was time for his little girl to go to bed. Eve said good night then and told Diana that she could call her at any time, for anything. 

Sean carried Diana upstairs and put her to bed. She fell asleep almost immediately. Sitting beside her, Sean ran his fingers through her hair and tried to smooth down the wrinkles on her forehead. It seemed that Diana was uneasy, even in sleep - not surprising considering the news she got just a few hours ago. Still, she was _so young!_ For someone her age, she had endured too much. Sean vowed to make sure that his little girl never went through another trauma as long as he lived. When he stood to leave her room, he heard a noise downstairs and remembered that they weren't alone in the house. Sean walked over to the empty bedroom closest to his room and pulled some pillows and blankets out of the linen closet. He made the bed quickly and then went downstairs. 

Nick was holding a sleeping Kelly on his chest and it looked like the detective was a few seconds away from collapsing from exhaustion. It _had_ been an awful day for him, Sean realized. He cleared his throat to announce his presence and approached a semi-startled Nick.

"I made up the guest bedroom near mine. I don't have a crib, but the bed is big enough that you can put pillows around Kelly and keep him safe, even if you roll over in your sleep." Sean felt sheepish saying that, but Nick didn't seem to notice the captain's discomfort.

"Thank you! I need to put him down. My arms are about to fall off." Nick attempted to smile at Sean, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Sean led them upstairs and helped Nick put the pillows around the sleeping baby. After pointing out where his room and the bathroom were, Sean said good night to Nick and went to his own bedroom to try and get some sleep. It had been a long night and it would be an even longer day tomorrow. There were so many things to discuss and plan. He just hoped that he and Nick could make these decisions without resorting to violence. They had 2 kids to think about now and no Adalind to play peacemaker. They would have to manage somehow; they had no other choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah. Each chapter is longer than the last and I have NO idea why I can't stop writing! I had a scene in mind that inspired this story and I thought I could write it all in 2 to 3 chapters. Now, I'm 3 chapters in and no where *near* the scene I want to include! 😫 Sigh. This thing has taken a life of its own and I have no idea how frequently I'll update it, but it WILL be finished. Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

Sleeping in a new place is always difficult; sleeping after the day's events seemed damn near impossible. Nick tossed and turned, though he tried to do it gently so as not to wake Kelly. Surprisingly, Kelly never stirred. He had been sleeping through the night for a few weeks now and Nick was thankful that his distress didn't manage to disturb his son. Kelly didn't even wake up during his feedings. Nick was exhausted from having to get up every few hours; now that he and Adalind couldn't take turns feeding/calming the baby, Nick found himself waking up to the alarms that seemed to ring as soon as he managed to shut his eyes. 

Breakfast the next morning was a quiet affair. Sean had made coffee and offered him a cup as soon as he walked into the kitchen. Diana was sitting quietly at the table, staring at the tabletop. Sean went over to the stovetop to flip the pancakes he was making. Nick drained half his cup before he went to heat up a bottle for Kelly - who was awake and quietly playing with his favorite stuffed animal. Diana ate half her pancake and then asked to be excused from the table. She went to the living room and lay down on the couch, not bothering to pay attention to the TV she turned on - more out of habit than any desire to watch the show currently airing. 

Nick cleared his throat and began to speak to Sean about what needed to be done. Sean told Nick that he had gotten up early that morning and filed the paperwork necessary for Sean to take 2 weeks off for bereavement. Nick seemed surprised that Sean would want to take time off of work to mourn Adalind's death, but Sean let him know that it was more to keep an eye on Diana. Grief affected people differently and there was no telling how Diana's heartache might manifest itself over the next few days. Sean also told Nick that he had filed the paperwork for Nick to also take 2 weeks off - starting today - for bereavement and then for Nick to be on paternity leave (6 weeks) immediately after. 

"So, you got me 2 months off from work? Paid?" Nick sounded incredulous. 

"Well, I figured you'd want to be with Kelly right now and figure things out. Plus, you haven't taken any time off in the last 2 years. You've got lots of PTO stored up," Sean said in between sips of coffee.

"Thanks. I need to make arrangements for the funeral and figure out what to do with Kelly when I need to get back to work."

"Probably a good idea to get a nanny."

"One that won't freak out when they realize I'm a grimm."

Sean paused mid-sip and looked at Nick, raising an eyebrow. "You'd hire a wesen nanny?"

"Why not? She'd watch Kelly AND Diana; and it wouldn't make sense to have a kehrseite watching over a tiny, but powerful hexenbiest and a future grimm."

Sean was surprised that Nick was thinking about both kids when considering who to hire as a nanny. _So he wasn't kidding about keeping the kids together. But for how long?_ Sean didn't have time to dwell on that now. They could figure out the nanny situation next week. For now, they needed to make funeral arrangements. Unsure if Nick needed - or even wanted - his help, Sean tried to think of a way to broach the subject when, mercifully, Nick's phone rang. 

Nick looked down at the phone before picking it up. "Monroe, hey."

"Hey, Nick. You're on speaker. Rosalee's here, too."

Before Nick could respond he heard a loud wail and assumed that one of the triplets had decided that they needed Rosalee's attention right now.

"I'm so sorry, Nick. I'm here for you. I'll let Monroe fill me in when you two are done talking. I love you! Give my love to Kelly and Diana. Bye!" With that, Rosalee sprinted off to take care of her crying child. 

"Man, who knew having triplets would be this hard?" Monroe wondered aloud. 

"Um... everyone?"

"Yeah. It's totally unfair that there are 3 of them and only 2 of us. We feel outnumbered."

"Well, at least there are 2 of you. Imagine if you had to do this alone."

"Yeah. That would totally suck." Monroe laughed for a second before he realized what he had said. Implying that being a single parent would suck, when Nick was gong to have to do just that... Monroe dragged his free hand down his face. "Dude, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"

Nick heard a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. Monroe's regret was obvious. Nick knew that his best friend hadn't meant to remind him that being a single parent would be a challenge. He also knew that he could count on Monroe and Rosalee to be there for him when he needed them. "Hey, don't worry about it. Listen, can you and Rosalee come over later? I need some help making the funeral arrangements for Adalind." Nick's voice caught on her name, but he soldiered through. "It'll be a small service. She didn't have any family, but I'm sure that there are some people that would want to say goodbye to her."

Sean got up to leave. He felt like he was intruding on a private conversation. _I probably should've left as soon as he picked up the phone._ Sean chided himself for not acting sooner. What was it about Nick that made him do things he normally wouldn't? Caring deeply about people that he wasn't related to or who wouldn't be of use to him in some way... that was certainly new for Sean. All his life, Sean had been slightly paranoid and self-centered. These qualities had served him well. After he and his mother had escaped the attempt on their lives by the Queen's henchmen, Sean had been focused on keeping himself alive and making sure that his family never managed to make him feel so scared and helpless again. 

It had been a lonely life, not letting anyone get close enough to learn his weaknesses... or letting them become important enough that they could be used to manipulate him. Sean had known that he would have to fend for himself. That's why he had joined the Police Academy right after graduating from college. Sure, he could speak half a dozen languages and knew how to handle himself in diplomatic situations, but he needed to be able to defend himself from physical harm. The hand-to-hand combat he had learned as a teenager wouldn't be enough. Sean needed to be armed at all times and to always stay in control - so his zauberbiest wouldn't present itself at inopportune times. 

So in addition to his police training, Sean had also hired someone to help him learn to meditate properly. At first, finding "inner peace" had seemed a lot more difficult than firing his gun - with precision - at target practice. But Sean Renard was as stubborn as they come and he refused to give up. Eventually, he could muster "zen" even during the most chaotic of situations; and he was flying through the ranks at the Academy. His hard work, dedication and skill were noticed by his superiors and within 10 years, he had been promoted to a captaincy. **Captain** Sean Renard. All his hard work had paid off. He was now in a position of power and his status afforded him protection, in that most people wouldn't be foolish enough to try and harm a police captain - for fear of the consequences. Even his own half-brother wouldn't have been able to attempt something without bringing unnecessary attention to the family, Sean had thought. 

Suffice it to say, Sean had had no intention of bringing a child into this world. A child meant attachment and feelings; a child could be used to manipulate him into doing his enemy's bidding. But a child of Sean's had come into the world, anyways. And Diana was the best thing that had ever happened to Sean. He could admit that now. He loved his little girl with every fiber of his being and there was _nothing_ he wouldn't do for her. Sean had assumed that fatherhood would have made him weak. Instead, it had made him stronger. Sure, he was vulnerable now, but it was worth it to have Diana in his life - to know that someone loved him unconditionally. 

Sean snapped out of his reminiscing when he heard the shrill sound of a fire truck. He rushed downstairs in time to see Nick attempting to get Diana to get off the couch. He was holding a crying Kelly and pleading with the little girl to go outside with him. When Nick finally glanced up he saw Sean and told him to grab Diana and get out. Sean did as he was told and all 4 of them vacated the house. Apparently, the house next door had caught on fire and the blaze had engulfed the whole structure within minutes. Firefighters who weren't hosing down the house were busy trying to get the residents of the surrounding houses outside and away from the blazing inferno. 

Nick, Sean and the kids were herded away to a safe distance and watched with horror as the firemen tried valiantly to get things under control. "Too bad there isn't a spell to make the fire go out suddenly," Nick thought aloud. Sean looked at Nick and then at Diana, her vacant eyes focused on the fiery destruction ahead of her. Dread pooled in Sean's stomach. He gently put Diana down and turned her to face him, away from the flames. 

"Diana, honey, did you start the fire?"

Nick's head snapped in Sean's direction when he heard the question. He looked on with baited breath. 

"No one was home. And they left the stove on. I didn't start the fire, but it looks so pretty. I helped it grow," Diana said nonchalantly. 

Sean swallowed and took a deep breath before he spoke to his daughter again. "Listen to me, very carefully, Diana. There may not be anyone inside, but there are people trying to stop the fire. And they could get seriously hurt if the fire gets any bigger. I need you to make it half the size so that these firefighters can get it under control, alright?"

Diana looked torn; she wanted to see the pretty flames, but she also didn't want to make her daddy mad. After a few seconds, she made up her mind. She raised her hand and closed it into a fist. Her wordless incantation did the trick. The flames leapt back and all the kehrseite seemed surprised but thankful that the fire seemed to be dying down. 

"Good girl," Sean said as he kissed Diana's temple and picked her up. He looked over at Nick, whose mouth hung open in shock and awe. Nick had so many questions, but couldn't bring himself to ask any of them. 

Half an hour later, Nick decided that they couldn't just stand around anymore. Kelly was cranky and would need to be fed soon and it would be hours before they could go back into the house. Nick called a cab and told Sean that they would go over to Monroe and Rosalee's for a while. Sean didn't argue since he felt like he needed to get Diana away from the fire. The four of them headed over to the new parents' home in relative silence. Sean made a phone call to the fire chief and asked that once the fire was under control, one of the firefighters go inside his house and open up all the windows to air the place out. He also wanted to be alerted if the house was suitable to sleep in that night. 

When the cab pulled up in front of Monroe and Rosalee's house, Sean hesitated for a minute. Nick was going to his friends in his hour of need. Sean felt like an outsider - an interloper. He wasn't a part of Nick's circle of friends. He was only here because of Diana. The tenuous connection suddenly made him feel awkward. It also made him question certain things. _Who could he turn to in case of an emergency?_ All of his friends were dead. His mother kept her distance because she felt that it protected both of them. _So where and who would Sean turn to if he needed help now?_ All of these unsettling questions swirled in his mind as Nick called his name and told him to come inside. They had some **very** important things to discuss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this chapter fully intending to cover 2 weeks' worth of stuff. I ended up writing about A DAY - not even a *whole* day because the next chapter will start out with what happens the night of the fire. 😫😭🤦♀️ Send help! 
> 
> Also, a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has left a kudos or a comment on this story. 😘 I hope you're all enjoying the story so far!


	5. Chapter 5

Monroe opened the door to his house and ushered his guests inside. Nick looked frazzled and Sean seemed hesitant; the kids were no better. Diana's eyes betrayed the painfully forced smile on her face and Kelly was whimpering, as if he was too tired to properly cry. Rosalee took one look at the lot of them and her heart melted. She took Kelly from Nick's arms and shifted him onto her hip, using her free hand to pull Nick into a tight hug. When she was done with him, she bent down and gave Diana a tight squeeze as well. Rosalee turned to Sean and hesitated for only a moment before giving him a hug as well. Sean was so stunned that he couldn't return the gesture before the fuchsbau pulled away. 

"You must be starving. Have a seat at the table and I'll get you guys some dinner. It's nothing fancy, just some soup and salad," Rosalee said as she went to get bowls, plates and other necessary utensils.

"Sorry to bother you guys on such short notice. Thank you for your hospitality." Sean, ever the polite Royal, said to his hosts. 

"Bother? It's no bother at all," Monroe scoffed. "We're happy to help, however we can."

"Thanks, Monroe. I really appreciate it. It's been a crazy day and I just... didn't know where else to go right now," Nick managed to say before he slumped into his chair.

Except for the occasional crying of the triplets, dinner was a quiet event. Even Kelly seemed somber in comparison to the other children in the house. After he fell asleep, Nick placed him in his carrier and waited until Sean placed a sleeping Diana on the couch before telling Monroe and Rosalee about the day's events. They were shocked to hear about the fire - and Diana's ability to practically stop it with her mind - but thankful that no one had gotten hurt. Sean got a phone call from the fire chief that warned him not to go back to his house that night. Rosalee and Monroe exchanged surreptitious glances, but Sean noticed anyway. He realized that the house simply wasn't big enough for 4 more houseguests. 

"It's getting late," Sean said while checking his watch. "We should go. Thank you for dinner."

"Wait- you're leaving?" Rosalee seemed surprised. 

"Yeah, I think we could probably find some place for you guys. If we... shifted..." Monroe was spared from finishing his awkward sentence.

"It's fine. I know a great hotel where the owner gives me a discount because I saved his life about 10 years ago. It's only for 1 night, so we'll just stay there tonight."

"We will?" Nick asked. 

A baffled Sean turned to Nick. When he had said "we," he had meant himself and Diana. Apparently, Nick thought that "we" included him and Kelly as well. 

"That's probably a good idea," Rosalee helpfully added. "But if you need us, just call."

With that settled, Sean called a cab which arrived less than 10 minutes later. Nick and Sean gathered up their sleeping children and bid their hosts good night. The hotel was much nicer than any Nick had been to; he supposed being a police captain and almost-mayor had its perks. The kids never even woke up when they were deposited onto their respective beds. Nick fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. In the adjoining room, Sean lay awake for another hour, thinking about what would happen to Diana if he were to unexpectedly pass away. He used the hotel notepad on his nightstand to draft up a new will; he surprised himself when he wrote down that he wanted Nick to be Diana's guardian if Sean passed away before her 18th birthday. Whatever their differences, Sean knew that Nick was a good man and that Diana would be loved and well cared for. Plus, she had already lost so much; she shouldn't have to be separated from her brother - if it could be helped. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next 2 weeks flew by. Monroe and Rosalee helped Nick plan the funeral. They made phone calls and booked the church, the priest, the hearse and the plot in the cemetery near where Nick's Aunt Marie was buried. Rosalee helped Nick pick out the casket while Monroe helped him pick the floral arrangements. Hank and Wu also offered to help. Wu arranged for the funeral procession to have a police escort and Hank reserved the hotel ballroom where the wake would be held. He sent out the invitations and even prepared a eulogy - in case Nick couldn't bring himself to give one. Thankfully, the funeral occurred without a hitch. The weather was fine and the choir sounded beautiful. The actual funeral was just for those who were closest to Adalind and they were all surprised to see so many people at the wake. It seemed that Adalind was more popular than they had thought. She had been a damn good lawyer and her colleagues and clients all wanted to pay their respects. 

Nick was overwhelmed with gratitude for his friends, who never left his side that day. Kelly was being passed around like the guests were playing hot potato. Everyone wanted to give the little guy a hug or a kiss and tell him about how amazing his mother was. Diana kept her distance, though. She barely acknowledged the people who tried to speak to her; she clung to Sean all day. It was as if her father was the only thing keeping her tethered. When the long day and even longer night finally came to an end, Nick thanked all his friends for being there for him. He hugged them all good night and went over to find Sean sitting at the table furthest from the entrance. Sean had pushed 3 chairs together and a sleeping Diana was laying across them, with her head on her father's lap. Kelly was fast asleep in Sean's arms. Sean was taking turns running his fingers through Diana's hair and rubbing Kelly's back soothingly. 

Something tugged at Nick's heart. This image was something he never expected to see. He doubted if anyone ever expected to see this softer, kinder version of Sean Renard. The man was the epitome of poise under pressure. He always projected an air of confidence and authority. It must have been the years of training - how to face the media without causing mass hysteria AND how to live a double life, without anyone finding out that he was a Royal and a wesen. Sean knew how to school his features and to not give anything away. He rarely let his emotions dictate his actions. But right here, right now, he wasn't performing in front of a camera. He was just _Sean -_ a father who loved his child very much and wanted what was best for her. That tough exterior melted away the second his eyes landed on Diana. All of the little smiles he reserved for her made Nick smile in turn. 

Sean chose that moment to look up and locked eyes with Nick. He raised his eyebrow questioningly and Nick snapped out of his musings. He strode over to his captain and told him that it was time to go home. Without thinking, Nick picked Diana up and started carrying her out to the car. Sean followed behind, holding Kelly. They got the kids settled into the backseat before climbing into the front seats of the SUV. Sean drove them home in silence. He kept his eyes on the road, but he had excellent peripheral vision and saw Nick looking at him. The detective wasn't staring, but he kept stealing glances. 

When they came to a red light, Sean took a chance and looked over, only to see Nick smiling to himself before looking out of the passenger side window. Sean wondered what had managed to put a smile on Nick's face - today of all days. It was the first genuine smile he'd seen on Nick's face since before Adalind's tragic passing. Whatever it was, Sean hoped that Nick would keep smiling. _He had a great smile._ Sean shook his head to get rid of the stray thought. He had to focus. When they got home, they put the kids to bed. Nick finally bought a crib for Kelly and they had assembled it a few days ago. Nick hadn't been able to bring himself to go to the loft & bring any of the stuff here. All of those things were in a storage unit, packed and dropped off by Hank and Wu. He really did have some great friends! Nick felt weary, but unable to fall asleep. Down the hall, Sean felt restless. Tomorrow would be his 1st day back to work and, for some reason, he felt nervous. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uniform chapter lengths? What's that? 😂 But in all seriousness, thanks for reading and leaving kudos! I'll try to pick up the pace of the story from here on out. I don't want to write a novel here. 😬


	6. Chapter 6

Two weeks. Nick lasted a grand total of two weeks after Sean went back to work before realizing that he absolutely couldn't do this all by himself. All Kelly did was eat, sleep, poop, and cry. Nick felt like all **he** did was cook, clean, and rock Kelly back to sleep. Hank and Wu had volunteered to help out, but that didn't work out too well. Hank got creeped out by Diana - who only drew violent pictures and refused to speak to anyone other than Nick and Sean - who stared at him blankly whenever he tried to talk with her. Wu tried to entertain Kelly, who was unimpressed with the sergeant's singing and his silly faces; they only seemed to make Kelly cry more. Nick thanked them both for their efforts, but decided it would be best if he handled the kids himself. 

But handling the kids himself was more difficult than he had expected. Nick felt like he never truly appreciated Adalind taking care of the kids 24/7 before; he was at work most of the day and while he helped out when he got home, it wasn't nearly as taxing as being a full-time, stay-at-home parent. Sean had noticed the fatigue and asked Nick to bring the kids to the precinct the next day for a visit. He said he missed them. Nick was grateful for the suggestion. When he showed up, his colleagues were surprised to see him since he wasn't due back at work for another month. Diana's face lit up when she saw Sean. She ran over and jumped into his arms. Sean nodded in the direction of his office and Nick excused himself and followed behind. 

Some of the officers were surprised and confused as to what was going on. Why did Nick have the Captain's daughter with him? And was that the Captain's son or Nick's? Some of the nosier officers gathered around the water cooler and Sergeant Franco clarified that Kelly was Nick and Adalind's son while Diana was Captain Renard and Adalind's daughter. Officer Mays informed them that all 4 were living together. His cousin Frank was a firefighter and, about a month ago, he had responded to a call about a fire next door to the Captain's house. Frank said he had seen the Captain, Nick and the kids come out of the Captain's house when all of the residents had been asked to evacuate. He had returned the next day to help in the investigation of what caused the fire and had seen Nick's car in the driveway and kids' toys on the front porch. Everyone seemed surprised by that information, but no one seemed upset by it. 

The officers scattered when Hank approached. They knew how close Detective Griffin and Detective Burkhardt were. The last thing they needed was for word of this to get back to Nick - and by extension, Sean - and to get yelled at by their captain. The man was quite formidable and scary when he wanted to be. Nick and Sean were heading out of the bullpen when Nick's super-hearing suddenly focused in on a conversation between two rookie cops. They were debating whether or not he and the Captain were _dating_ when a third rookie joined them and stated that it was only a matter of time before they came out and broke the news to everyone. 

Nick stopped in his tracks and wondered why anyone would assume he and Sean were together. Sure, they were living together and raising their children together, but that was only because the kids shared a mom and they should be kept together as they all mourned her loss. And yeah, okay, they had worked together very closely even before living together. He and Hank had stumbled upon A LOT of wesen-related cases - and maybe Sean had even sent them their way - and needed to speak to the captain privately during the investigations. But it's not like he could explain all that to the inquisitive cops; they were **kehrseite!** And now that he thought about it, Sean normally did have a rather stern expression on his face - all business-like and formal - but he was practically beaming when he saw Diana earlier. He was so happy to see her that the smile had stayed on his face when he greeted Nick and silently asked him to come into his office. The smile had stayed in place as they all headed out of the office, on their way to grab a bite to eat. _Huh. Maybe those guys weren't crazy for assuming that Nick and Sean were dating._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They had taken Nick's car to the restaurant because Kelly's car seat was already inside. Nick was slightly distracted when leaving the precinct so Sean asked to drive; Nick handed the keys over without thinking. Nick was still lost in his thoughts when he felt someone shaking his shoulder gently. Apparently, Sean had been trying to get his attention for a while. They had arrived at the restaurant and were sitting in the parked car. Sean climbed out of the car and unbuckled Kelly. Diana unbuckled herself and stepped out of the car. Nick was surprised when he felt Diana grab his hand as they began walking. Sean had learned how to unfold the stroller (after many failed attempts in the first 2 weeks of living together) and was now pushing Kelly to the burger place with ease. 

A friendly waitress led them to a booth and enthusiastically began to list the day's specials. Sean ordered a salad for himself and chicken nuggets and fries for Diana. Nick ordered a burger and fries for himself. The waitress took their orders and left. Kelly was happily playing with his rattle and his favorite teddy bear. Diana was coloring the place mat, although without any enthusiasm. She sighed deeply when she realized that the blue crayon was missing and that she couldn't color the sky. Sean looked at his daughter and then at Nick; their eyes locked and they silently agreed to have a conversation about her when Sean got home from work later. The waitress, her name tag said _Jenny_ , came back with their drinks. Diana sipped her apple juice while Sean tried his iced tea; Nick pushed the ice in his soda around with the straw, but didn't drink any of it yet. 

Nick and Sean tried to analyze the big case Sean was currently working on, but found it difficult to discuss the more grizzly details since Diana was sitting right there. Thankfully, their food arrived not long after. Kelly was drooling onto his bib and Sean leaned over and wiped it away with his napkin. He asked Nick how someone so small could produce so much spit. Nick laughed and said that at least they only had to deal with one baby; Monroe and Rosalee were dealing with 3 all the time! As they spoke more about how daunting that must be, Diana asked for the ketchup to be passed. Nick handed it to her and faced Sean again to continue their conversation. 

"Thanks, daddy." Diana said. 

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Nick replied without thinking. "So who do you think will end up being the troublemaker of the bunch? I think it'll be their youngest. She seems- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sean's fork had been halfway to his mouth when his brain had registered that Diana had called Nick "daddy," and he had been unable to take the bite. He put his fork down and glanced at Nick, then at Diana, then back to Nick again. For his part, the grimm seemed oblivious to his captain's bewilderment. Sean cleared his throat, unsure if he wanted to draw attention to Diana's slipup. 

"Nothing. I just remembered something that might help with the case. Never mind. What were you saying about the triplets?"

Sean smiled what he hoped was a convincing smile; and it might have worked - had Nick not known him so well. Nick decided to ask Sean about it later. After all, it would be nice to have a conversation with an adult - a conversation that didn't involve work or babies. They finished eating and Sean asked for the bill. When Jenny came over with the bill, Nick reached for it, but Sean beat him to it.

"I've got it."

"It's fine, Sean, I can pay."

"I know you can, but I've got it."

"I don't need your charity," Nick hissed.

Sean glared right back as he replied, "Jeez. Get a grip, Nick. It's not charity. It's just ONE bill. You can pay **next time**." With that, Sean signed the receipt and slid some bills into the check presenter.

_Huh. Next time. And there will **be** a next time, won't there? Now that they're living together and likely to go out together to eat._ Nick felt foolish for making a mountain out of a molehill. Just as he was about to apologize to Sean, Jenny came over to ask if they needed anything else. Sean gave her a charming smile and thanked her while declining the offer for coffee or dessert. Jenny opened the check presenter and gasped when she saw what a huge tip Sean had left her. She bent down to talk to Kelly just as Sean got up and went around her - ready to push the stroller toward the doors. "Well, goodbye, you cutie pie. You come back soon, alright? Especially since your daddy's so generous," she looked up at Sean and winked before turning her attention to Diana, who had grabbed Nick's hand again - just as she had in the parking lot. "You guys have some great kids," Jenny said to Nick. "Thank you," Nick and Sean replied at the same time, briefly looking at each other before looking forward again. 

"Let's go. I've got to get back to the precinct. I have a phone call with the mayor in 30 minutes." Sean smiled and nodded at Jenny while Nick waved goodbye with his free hand. On the ride back to the station, all Nick could think about was that people kept assuming that he and Sean were _together_ and that he had never corrected any of them. Sean tried to focus on driving, but his mind kept wandering to the fact that Diana had called Nick daddy and that he hadn't even noticed it. _Had she done it before? Was it her choice or did Nick ask her to call him that? What would Kelly call him when he finally started speaking? Was he getting ahead of himself?_ They certainly would have a lot to discuss when he got home that night.

When they got to the parking lot, Sean got out and opened the back seat. Diana took off her seatbelt and leaned over Kelly to give him a hug. Sean returned the hug and gave her cheek a kiss. When she pulled back, Sean looked at Kelly and smiled. He had intended to wave goodbye at the baby, but the little boy had smiled at him and reached for him, so Sean gave him a kiss on the cheek as well. Kelly gurgled happily at him and Sean felt a twinge of _something_ twist his heart. Probably _guilt_ at having given Diana away at such a young age. He never got to have these moments with her. The sound of Nick clearing his throat brought Sean back to the present. He gently closed the door and handed the car keys over to an expectant Nick. 

"We've gotta talk."

Nick nodded his agreement. "Yup, see you at home," Nick said before getting into the car.

 _Home._ He no longer went _home_ to an empty house. What had Sean's life become? _Better,_ a traitorous voice inside his head responded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A restaurant scene where the waitress mistakes Nick and Sean for a couple and afterwards, they realize their feelings when they talk about it... that's what inspired this story. It was supposed to be a one shot. Ha! 😅 I'm 6 chapters deep with no end in sight. 😭 I wrote and rewrote that scene so many times, and it was nothing like what I had first intended. Sigh... 
> 
> Thanks for reading and leaving kudos/comments. Shoutout to Corvus_Aconitum for always leaving such wonderful comments on these chapters and for keeping me motivated to continue writing.


	7. Chapter 7

Kelly was especially energetic during dinner that night. He liked his sweet potato puree a lot. Nick didn't even have to make the airplane noises or distract him into eating his food like he normally did. Diana seemed a bit less melancholy than she had in the past few weeks. Sean figured it probably had something to do with getting out of the house earlier today. Getting Kelly down for sleep took less time than usual; the day's activities had tired the baby out.

Diana had handed Sean a drawing before heading to her room to go to sleep. Sean, who had just finished drying the dishes, wiped his hands on the dish towel and looked down at the picture; he saw what he assumed were him and Diana holding hands. Holding Diana's other hand was Nick, who was carrying Kelly with his other arm. Above them, among the clouds - in what he assumed was Heaven - was Adalind; she had a halo above her head. She was smiling and seemed to be watching over the 4 of them. Sean swallowed nervously; Diana was so attached to Nick already. _What would happen if -_ when _\- he moved out?_ _How would Diana deal with that?_

"What's that?"

Sean nearly jumped out of his skin. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard Nick come back downstairs. He cleared his throat and answered in what he hoped was a normal voice, "It's a picture Diana drew... of her family." He handed the paper over to Nick, who smiled when he looked over the 4 grinning faces on the ground. His smile faltered when his eyes landed on Adalind. Nick's gaze lingered for a few seconds before he sighed. Suddenly, Nick turned around and walked over to the fridge; he used one of the magnets to hang the drawing up. He stepped back to look at Diana's handiwork and smiled. 

"I think our girl's got talent," Nick said before grabbing a drink and heading towards the living room. 

It was a nice night so he headed out onto the balcony. A minute later, Sean joined him. Surprisingly, Sean also had a beer in hand. Nick didn't think he had ever seen Sean drink anything other than wine or champagne before. Well, there was that one time when the precinct had all gone out to celebrate the retirement of a 25-year-veteran detective; enough of the guys had insisted that the captain join them for at least one round that Sean had finally caved and done a few shots. Never again, he had proclaimed the next day, to everyone's amusement. 

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Nick decided to ask. 

"Well... Diana. I'm a little worried about her. She looked happier today than she has in quite a while. I think it would be good for her to be around other people."

"I agree. She can't be cooped up here all day with us. She's a little girl; she needs to hang out with people her age... How old is she?" Nick looked over at Sean. 

"I think she's about 8 or 9. So she probably should be in 2nd or 3rd grade."

"She's smart enough. We can probably put her in 3rd grade."

Sean sighed. "I know it's important for her to interact with people her age, but do you really think it's a good idea to send her somewhere where everyone's a stranger? And what if she has a meltdown? She could hurt herself or one of the other kids!"

Nick leaned his arms on the railing and looked down at the bottle in his hands. "Look, I know those are valid concerns, but we can't wrap her in bubble wrap and hope for the best. She needs to have as normal a childhood as possible. And the best way to do that is to send her to school. Obviously, we'll have to talk to her first about controlling her emotions and her powers. But she's a lot stronger than she looks and a lot smarter than we probably give her credit for. I think she can handle herself."

Sean walked over to Nick and leaned over the railing as well. He knew Nick was right, but it was still hard to think about letting his little girl go out into the world, surrounded by people she didn't know; the world was a dangerous place and Sean had plenty of enemies. Being his kid automatically put a target on her back. "And what if she can't?" Sean asked in a soft voice. 

Nick turned his head to look at Sean, who was looking forward - so Nick did the same. He used his most assuring voice - the one he used to calm down the relatives of victims - to answer Sean. "She **can**. She's _your_ daughter. Think of all the odds you beat to be here right now." 

The conviction in Nick's voice made Sean turn to look at the grimm. He quietly studied the detective's profile for a while before turning his gaze back toward the darkness. _Should he bring up what happened at the restaurant earlier? Did it really matter?_ Sean must have gotten lost in his thoughts because the next thing he knew, a hand was wrapped around his bicep. There was just enough pressure there to let him know that someone was present close by, but that they posed no threat to him. Sean blinked rapidly and then turned to see the Nick's face, eyebrows furrowed and mouth turned upside down; Nick was trying to decipher Sean's facial expressions and body language to determine if there was anything to truly worry about. 

Sean forced himself to relax and turned to fully face Nick. "We should really start narrowing down the list of potential nannies. The sooner you get some help, the better. Plus, the nanny will probably have a better understanding of whether or not Diana is ready to socialize with kids her age."

Nick seemed to think this over before nodding. "Yeah. I could use a hand around here. Plus, Diana and Kelly need to get used to being without us for long periods of time."

"Kelly will be fine. He's such a happy baby."

"Thank God for that. I don't know what I'd do if he cried all the time. I was never as good at getting him to calm down as Adalind was. She-"

The abrupt pause sobered Sean up. They didn't talk about Adalind. They spoke about her to her children and she came up in conversation when others asked about their kids, but Nick and Sean never spoke to _each other_ about Adalind. It felt like an unwritten rule that they had both agreed to when Nick had moved in. The wound was still too fresh in Nick's heart and Sean didn't know how to comfort him. Nick loved Adalind; he had been **in love** with her. At most, Sean had lusted after her... once upon a time. Diana was an unplanned miracle. And while the little girl had been convinced for a time that her mommy and daddy loved - or should love - each other, the adults were under no such delusions. Adalind might have been in love with him once, but she certainly wasn't when she passed; Sean was never in love with the hexenbiest. He cared for her because she was the mother of his child, but it never extended beyond that. 

Unsure of what to say, Sean put his beer down on the table and turned to lean on the railing with his back. He opened and closed his mouth several times before finally sighing and looking down at his shoes. When he started speaking, his voice was so low and soft that Nick had to turn and lean in to hear what Sean was saying.

"You're great with him. A lot better than I would've been with a baby. Sometimes, I wish I could've experienced all of this with Diana. Other times, I'm so thankful I got to skip all the constant crying and temper tantrum stages; and teaching them how to do everything, like how to read and write and tie their shoelaces. I mean, my God, I don't know what I would do if I had to potty-train her." 

Both men burst into laughter at that. When they managed to catch their breath, Nick looked up at Sean and made sure they were making eye contact so that Sean could see the sincerity in his eyes. "You're a great dad, Sean. Diana loves you so much. You're keeping her calm and sane. And Kelly seems to like you, too. He won't let Wu get within 6 feet of him without screaming bloody murder."

Sean chuckled at that. "Maybe he only likes his daddies." 

As soon as the word left his mouth, Sean regretted it. His smile disappeared from his face just as Nick's eyebrow rose to meet his hairline. "What?" the grimm asked in disbelief. 

Panic set over Sean momentarily as he froze and tried to decide between coming clean or pretending that he had said 'daddy' and that Nick must have misheard him. In the end, he decided to go with the truth. "It's just a **joke**. You know, the waitress - from earlier today - assumed I was Kelly's dad. And it's happened before - _twice_ at the grocery store! Plus, Diana called you 'daddy' earlier and you didn't seem to mind, so-"

"Wait! Slow down. **What?** When did- when did Diana call me that?" Nick's confusion was so genuine that Sean knew he wasn't faking it. He really hadn't heard Diana's little mix-up earlier in the day. And now Sean had brought attention to it and made it a thing - a weird thing. 

Sean sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. This wasn't how he had wanted to spend his night. He had wanted to come home and briefly talk about Diana's future and then head upstairs to enjoy some light reading in bed before getting some much needed sleep. Now, he knew he wouldn't be getting any rest that night. He would be tossing and turning, trying to parse over this conversation and see how he could have handled it better. After explaining to Nick exactly what had happened, Sean waited to see the other man's reaction. 

Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn't this. A thoughtful look, followed by a shrug - a form of acceptance and a degree of nonchalance that this situation didn't warrant. Nick looked sheepish for a second before looking at Sean again. He rubbed the back of his neck as he said, "I mean, she's not the first person today to assume that we're _together_. I heard a couple of the cops at the precinct discussing our 'situation' when we came to visit you."

Sean straightened up immediately. He couldn't have his subordinates gossiping about him. They needed to respect him and his privacy. His personal life was nobody's business and he didn't want them snooping. Besides, he certainly didn't want them to assume that Nick was getting preferential treatment because of their _relationship_. He wanted to know who these officers were so he could set them straight; Nick made a face, as if reading Sean's mind. 

"No. You _can't_ go and yell at people that we're not together and that it's none of their business. It'll only make people more curious and confirm the suspicions of those who believe we are a couple." Nick took a long pull of his beer before setting the bottle down harshly on the table. He tried to get his anger in control by breathing deeply and exhaling slowly. 

Never one to give in easily, Sean scoffed and claimed that he wasn't going to do anything of the sort. Nick rolled his eyes and gave Sean a 'who do you think you're talking to' look. It was enough to stop Sean from doubling-down on the lie. 

"Look, it's not a big deal. Obviously, you're her dad and she'll always call you 'daddy.' I'm just Nick. And if she accidentally calls me anything else, I'll point it out to her next time - assuming I notice it, of course."

"That's just it! You _didn't_. It didn't seem **odd** to you that she referred to you as her father. I mean, what if Kelly started calling me 'dad'?"

"I mean, that would be amazing considering that Kelly doesn't talk yet. He still just babbles nonsensical things. If you can get him to say 'dad' or 'dada,' then I wouldn't mind if he accidentally called you that sometimes. I wouldn't mind at all."

"And what would he call you if he called me 'dad?'"

Nick shrugged. "Papa? Daddy? Pops? I don't really care." And he seemed like he meant it. 

Sean's phone dinged at that moment, alerting him that he had a new e-mail. A quick glance told him that it was work-related. Speaking of work, he had to get up early the next day to prepare for some meetings. It would be a long, boring day, but he'd have to pay attention - which meant that he needed to get some sleep right now. Nick seemed to gather as much as he grabbed both beer bottles from the table and headed back inside. Sean followed and debated whether or not he should go upstairs without finishing the conversation. His mind was made up for him when Nick returned and walked past him, stopping at the foot of the stairs to say, "If it really bothers you that much, I can speak to Diana about it and ask her not to call me 'daddy' again. And I can tell Hank to subtly mention it to the guys at work that we're not actually dating. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable at work, and especially not in your own home." 

When he didn't get a reply from Sean, Nick started walking upstairs silently. He was almost at the top when Sean said, "I don't mind. I mean, it was obviously an accident, so I don't mind. There's no need to talk to Diana about it and make it a big deal. It's nothing. And you're right; if we bring it up at work without prompting, it'll only convince people that we're lying or trying to hide something. We should just ignore the rumors until they die down."

Nick waited to see if Sean wanted to say anything else. The captain was a fiercely private man who was as possessive as he was protective. Nick wasn't 100% convinced that he didn't mind Diana calling Nick 'daddy,' accidentally or otherwise, and he certainly wouldn't like his subordinates gossiping about him. But until he said otherwise, Nick couldn't do anything about it. It had been a long day and Nick just wanted it to be over. "Good night," he said as he looked over his shoulder. 

"Good night," Sean echoed from below. He counted to 10 in his head before walking upstairs, hoping to not run into Nick in the hallway upstairs. Mercifully, Nick had gone into his room and closed the door. After changing into his favorite silk pajamas, Sean lay down in bed and replayed the day's events in his head, especially the end of the conversation on the balcony and the last words exchanged on the staircase. _Had he meant them? Did he truly not mind? Did Nick not mind the assumptions people were making about them?_ So many questions plagued his mind that he ended up staying awake for another 2 hours, tossing and turning, mirroring the actions of another adult - just 2 doors down from his own bedroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah. This chapter was so annoying to write. It was very dialogue-heavy and I hope it wasn't confusing. It's been an exciting week. Work was crazy busy, but we have a new President and I'm feeling optimistic again. I actually slept in this weekend - without worrying about what the Orange Menace would do - because you-know-who is no longer POTUS. 🥳🥳🥳 Anyways, I'm exhausted and it's almost 3 a.m., but I wanted to give you guys an update. So here it is: another chapter, unbeta'ed (is that how you spell it? 😅) as usual. Enjoy! And thank you to everyone for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. 😘


	8. Chapter 8

Eve had volunteered to help Nick interview the potential nannies. Sean was too busy dealing with a high-profile murder and Nick was glad for all the help he could get. There were 15 potential candidates to choose from and Nick was focusing on the potential caretaker's resume, while Eve was trying to _sense_ if there was anything wrong with them. Her vacant stare was intimidating and most of the nannies began stumbling over their words whenever they snuck a glance at the hexenbiest's direction. As a way to thank her for helping him out, Nick asked Eve to stay for dinner and cooked her favorite meal. Well, it had been Juliette's favorite meal and he hoped Eve wouldn't mind. 

Over dinner, they discussed the strengths and weaknesses of each of the nannies. After disqualifying a dozen of the applicants, they had narrowed the field down to their top 3 choices. Eve suggested that they allow each of the applicants to babysit for a day, while being supervised by Nick and Eve - from a distance, so as not to interfere with their style of taking care of the children. Nick agreed that that sounded like an excellent plan. When Diana came over and asked if Eve could read her a bedtime story and tuck her in, Nick nodded. Kelly was already down for the night and Nick had to clean up the kitchen. He was glad to have Eve help out with Diana. While the girls went upstairs, Nick washed everything in the sink and plated some food for Sean. The captain could easily heat up his food when he got home. 

Once he was finished, Nick headed upstairs to say good night to Diana. When he got to her room, the door was ajar. He heard Diana's excited voice telling Eve about what she drew earlier that day. He was about to announce himself and walk into the room when he heard something that made him pause. 

"Do you think Nick loves me?" 

"Of course he does, Diana. Why do you ask?" 

"It's just... I knew he'd be around because he loved mommy and Kelly, but mommy's not here anymore. What if he takes Kelly and leaves? What if he doesn't want me to be part of his family?" The genuine worry in her voice broke Nick's heart. He couldn't help himself; he walked into the room. 

"Diana, honey, of course I love you! You **are** part of my family - now and forever! I'll always protect you and Kelly. And no matter where we end up living, that's never gonna change. Remember when you were living with me and your mommy sometimes and your daddy other times? You didn't love your daddy any less all those times you were living with us, right?" When Diana nodded, Nick continued. "Exactly! Honey, I'm here for you. I always will be."

Diana seemed to consider his words carefully for a few seconds before getting up and hugging him tightly. Nick hugged back just as tightly. This little girl was the spitting image of Adalind and reminded him of her constantly. And while it was painful to think about Adalind's absence, it was equally joyous to remember that Adalind had left behind pieces of herself in Diana and Kelly. She would live on through them. And Nick was surprised by how fiercely he loved this little girl - as if she were his own - and not just because she was Kelly's sister or Adalind's daughter. **No** , he loved her because she was a wonderful little girl and she _felt_ like she was his. And he never wanted her to doubt that he loved her and would do his best to protect her. 

Eve didn't want to interrupt the heartwarming moment, but she had to get home. She cleared her throat and said, "Alright. MY turn for a hug." Diana giggled and launched herself into Eve's arms. Eve smiled and held the little girl close. Nick watched on, suddenly torn between feeling happy and guilty. He was happy to see Eve being so carefree with Diana. The little girl was one of the few people that could always make Eve let down her guard. Nick was also overcome with guilt at seeing the two hugging and smiling. He realized that Eve would've made a great mother and that he had taken that opportunity from her. Juliette had been devastated to learn that Nick and Adalind were having a baby; she had closed herself off to emotions and potentially ever having her own family. Nick blamed himself for not being able to accept her and her new powers. Ironically, he had fallen in love with _another_ hexenbiest and accepted her - **all** of her - when they got together. Nick wondered if Eve held any resentment towards him because of it. 

After tucking Diana into bed and kissing her good night, the adults left her room. They walked downstairs and toward the front door. Nick stopped Eve when her hand closed around the doorknob. "Hey. Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it. And Diana loves you! I'm glad you're here for her."

Eve looked at Nick for a minute, carefully reading his facial expressions, before replying, "She's a sweet girl. She's been through so much - too much - at such a young age. I just want her to know that she's not alone. If she needs a helping hand, I'll be there for her. I may not ever have kids of my own, but I love kids and I love that little girl. No; don't look at me like that. It's not your fault - entirely - that I won't have any kids. There's more than one way to be a mother. Besides, your Aunt Marie raised you as if you were her own. She was a mother, without having a child. I can do the same." The hexenbiest sounded like she had given this topic a lot of thought. "Not that I'm trying to replace Adalind," she hurried to add. "I think you and Sean are doing a great job with the kids. I just wanna be the aunt that they can always confide in and count on."

Nick laughed at that. Eve seemed perfectly content to play her role as the loving aunt. And maybe she had made peace with the fact that there were certain things that weren't meant for her. She had buried Juliette and all her aspirations. She was different and Nick shouldn't be surprised by that. They were both very different from the people they were when he first discovered his powers. He was thankful that they had found a way back into each other's lives. He loved her once and would always care for her. Nick hugged her and walked her to her car. He waved as she drove away and went back inside. He looked at his watch and decided to head to bed. Who knew _when_ Sean would get home? He couldn't stay up all night again, hoping to cross paths with the captain. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sean woke with a start, his alarm blaring to life at the designated time. He had fallen asleep in his office for the third night in a row. The case file he had been perusing was on his chest. Sean gathered the papers and gently tossed them onto the nearby table. The latest case involved the murder of the governor's favorite niece and he was demanding answers "immediately or else." Sean didn't need to ask what _or else_ implied. Truthfully, he wanted to catch the murderer just because it was his job.

The killer had beaten the victim and tortured her prior to killing her. The heinous nature of the crime made Sean all the more determined to find the monster responsible and put him away for good. So far, they hadn't made much progress. The victim had been killed in a cabin in the woods and there were no cameras nearby. There were no vehicles at the crime scene, so the killer must have driven them there and then driven away. There was a thunderstorm the night of the murder and the rain had washed away the tire tracks and anything else they might have used, like a footprint or a shoeprint, to aid in their search. The cell towers weren't able to ping any other phone numbers in the area on the night of the killing. None of the friends or family members they had interviewed knew of anyone that might want to hurt the victim. They all said she was a sweet woman who had no enemies. So where to start? 

Not for the first time that week, Sean felt a migraine coming on. He reached for the pills he kept in his desk drawer. He would be of no help to anyone if he couldn't even think straight. He swallowed 2 tablets with some water and checked his cell phone for the time. Sean sighed as he realized that he had missed his first alarm. He wouldn't have enough time to go home and have breakfast with Nick and the kids AND drive back to the office on time for his daily morning briefing with the governor. The captain stood up and stretched, his muscles aching and protesting the terrible position he had slept in the night before. Slowly, Sean walked over to the break room and poured himself a cup of coffee. He was one of the few people still at the precinct. There would be a shift change in 20 minutes and the skeleton crew would be replenished by the main daytime crew. 

One of the first people to arrive was Sargent Wu. Despite his dry wit and sarcasm, the man seemed to be happiest in the mornings. Detective Griffin came in just 5 minutes before his shift began. Hank was definitely not a morning person. He loathed being spoken to before he had his first cup of coffee. Since Nick unexpectedly took a leave of absence, Hank had been paired up with a new detective. The rookie was extremely eager and seemed to have boundless energy, whether it was the beginning of the day or the end of a double shift. Hank was trying not to let Detective Ben Leno's enthusiasm exasperate him. The blond-haired, blue-eyed, German was always focused and ready to spring into action. 

Sean noticed that Hank had barely sat down in his chair when Ben stood up from his and started making a beeline for the veteran detective. No doubt the rookie was ready to talk Hank's ear off. Sean decided to have mercy on the good detective and called his name, asking for him to come into his office. Ben seemed puzzled as to why he wasn't asked to come along as well, but a stern look in his direction from Captain Renard had him scrambling back to his desk, busying himself with paperwork. Sean hid his smile by taking a sip from his coffee mug; he secretly enjoyed being able to intimidate someone with just a look. When Hank joined him, he told the detective to close the door behind him. 

Hank took one look around the office and deduced that Sean had spent the night in his office. There was a pillow and a blanket on the couch and Sean's clothes looked slightly rumpled. "Rough night?" Hank asked, already knowing the answer to his question. 

"Rough week, is more like it," Sean confirmed. As he sat back in his chair, several bones cracked and Sean attempted to hide his grunt of discomfort. Hank winced in sympathy. At their age, they really shouldn't be sleeping anywhere but on a bed. 

"How can I help, Captain?"

"You can help me catch the S.O.B. that killed the governor's niece. Or you can find a clue that might lead us in the right direction." Sean huffed as he took another sip of coffee. 

Hank sighed as he sat down in one of the chairs in front of Sean's desk. "I've been trying to piece this together and it just doesn't make sense. The way she was killed indicates that it was personal - that someone was out for her - but all of the people close to her claim that she had no enemies. And there's not much evidence to go on. The killer picked a secluded cabin and made sure to take a route where no cameras could record them. And no one even knows where he abducted her from. No one saw her the day she was killed. She was M.I.A. all day and no one thought to try and find her. Her cell phone's last locations are her home and the cabin, so we have no idea how she ended up from location A to location B. This killer is methodical; I'm not sure where to start looking." 

Sean sighed. "Yeah, that's the problem. We need answers and we have none. I'm so tired of banging my head against the wall."

"Do you think it could be wesen-related?"

"And if it is? What then?"

"Well, we do have an expert-"

" **No**. We are not involving Nick. Look, he's got enough to deal with at home; he doesn't need to add an unsolvable case to his plate."

Hank doesn't mention that Sean is _also_ dealing with everything Nick is _and_ he's working cases on top of all that. "You really think this is unsolvable?" 

"It sure feels like it. Maybe we do need some fresh eyes on this. I'll bring some files home and talk to Nick about it, but I don't want him involved. He's still got 3 weeks left before he has to get back to work."

"The man enjoys solving cases. I'm sure he wouldn't mind lending a hand." Hank chuckled. 

_Yeah. He definitely wouldn't mind._ Sean rubbed his temple and closed his yes, attempting to lessen the pain of the pounding headache. Hank decided then to speak up. "Look, Captain, you're no good to any of us if you're out of commission. I think it's best if you go home and take a nap. And a shower." Sean furrowed his brows at the implication that he stank and Hank held his hands us placatingly. "I'm just saying, you've been working non-stop. You need to go home and relax; spend some time with your daughter."

"I do miss the kids. I haven't been able to put Diana to bed for the last couple of days. And I missed breakfast this morning." Sean frowned as he realized just how much he was missing out on.

Hank quirked an eyebrow when Sean said **kids** instead of kid. He doubted that Sean even noticed it himself. "Tell you what. Why don't you go home for a few hours and I'll come by around noon and pick Nick's brain with you?"

"That's not a bad idea," Sean agreed. He dialed his assistant's number and told him to hold his calls and to inform the governor that he would miss their briefing because he was pursuing a time-sensitive lead. Hank looked impressed with how easily Sean made up excuses. "Years of dealing with overbearing superior officers tends to make you an expert on bullshitting." Sean shrugged as he he stood up and went to grab his coat. "I'll see you in a few hours." 

Hank watched as his captain walked out of the bullpen. The man was moving sluggishly, so the coffee must not have kicked in yet. He seemed bone-weary. And now he was going home to deal with 2 kids, all while trying to solve an unsolvable case. _At least Nick would be there to help out._ And isn't that the strangest thought he's had in quite some time? That Captain Renard would be going **home** to see Diana and Kelly, whom he had referred to as "the kids," as if they were both his kids, and that **Nick** was the one he'd be turning to - to help with the kids _and_ the case. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that I started out by updating this story twice a week and now I haven't updated in 2 weeks! I hope that none of you lovely readers thought that I had abandoned this fic. 😳 Life just got crazy busy these last few weeks. But the next chapter is here and I'll try to update again soon. Enjoy!!! 💙💙💙

As promised, Hank showed up at noon to talk about the case with Sean and Nick. He expected to sit in the home office for 20 minutes and then be on his way. Instead, Diana - who had answered the door when he knocked - led him to the kitchen. Nick was stirring something on the stovetop and Sean was chopping up ingredients for a salad on the kitchen island. Kelly was happily babbling and chewing on his stuffed animal. Diana waved her hand and the table began magically setting itself. Hank watched in awe as the dishes and silverware floated past him. When she was done, Diana went to the living room and began playing with her toys. Nick informed Hank that the food would be ready in 10 minutes. 

"I hope spaghetti and meatballs are alright," Nick said. 

"Nick, can you toss the salad while I toast the bread?" Sean asked.

Nick sighed and pretended to be put upon. "I guess I have to do everything." The smile on his face as he complained made it obvious that he didn't actually mind.

"Well, seeing as how it's _your_ partner and best friend that we're cooking for, it seems only fair that you do the heavy lifting."

Sean smiled as he wiped his hands on a towel and moved toward the stove to give the meatballs a stir. Nick wiped his hands on his apron and picked up the giant wooden spoons to toss the salad. Hank watched the scene unfold and was taken aback by the domesticity of it all. Two people who were comfortable around each other, working together seamlessly. There was an unspoken agreement not to talk about the case before they ate and Hank was happy to sit and wait while Nick and Sean worked in silence. But it wasn't an awkward silence or an uncomfortable silence; it was the companionable silence that only people who were wholly comfortable in each other's presence could tolerate. 

Being a detective meant being ready to go at a moment's notice. After all, crime never sleeps. And the perps didn't care if the detectives were in the middle of having their meal. If the call came, the detectives had to put down whatever they were doing and go to the crime scene. On many occasions, Hank has had to put down his burger - having only taken one bite - because the dispatcher had called in a crime and he and Nick were the closest to the location. Having a sit-down meal that wasn't interrupted was a luxury and Hank enjoyed every moment of it - especially when Kelly shoved his tiny fist into his bowl of apple sauce and launched a handful in Nick's direction. Nick, who had been distracted by a question Diana had asked, turned back to have the gooey substance lobbed in his face. 

Both Kelly and Diana burst into laughter while Sean and Hank tried - and failed miserably - to hold in theirs. Having everyone laughing at him wasn't how Nick had wanted this meal to go, but he was glad to see Diana smiling. Not much seemed to make her happy these days and he was always glad whenever he could see her being a carefree child, even if only for a moment. Soon, they had finished eating and the kids were placed in the living room. The TV distracted both of them while the adults went into another room to discuss the gruesome case. Nick had looked over the case files and was equally stumped. He agreed with Hank that wesen were probably involved. 

Nick called Monroe and asked if he and Rosalee could meet up to discuss the case. Deciding that they couldn't bring the kids along, the adults called the one person that always seemed eager to help out. Bud was happy to help, until he realized that he'd be looking after **five** kids by himself. Realizing how daunting that would be, Rosalee asked Wu and Monroe to stay behind at the house and give the anxious eisbiber a hand. She then drove to the spice shop and awaited the rest of the party to meet her in the basement. Nick, Hank and Sean arrived shortly after. When they thought they might have a lead, Nick called Monroe and put him on speakerphone so he could listen in while the others explained their theory. Since no one could remember anything of use, Nick guessed that their memory might have been wiped by a gedächtnis esser. Why the octopus-like wesen would do that to the governor's niece was a mystery. It also didn't account for the physical abuse, but at least they had something to go on. 

Sean and Hank went back to the precinct to retrace the victim's last days and figure out what public places she might have visited. If they could find her on some CCTV footage, they might be able to locate someone that had been following her prior to her kidnapping. It took nearly 12 hours to comb through all the footage, but they finally found a clear image that allowed them to search their database. The man had no criminal record, but the license plate of the car he was driving provided them with his name and address. Further research showed that the man - called Mitchell McDonald - moved around a lot. It was almost as if he were moving from place to place for employment. No doubt he always did a mind wipe after each job so that no one could identify him. Although, McDonald was careful not to turn his victims into vegetables. He only did short-term mind wipes so that no one would question why they couldn't remember a large chunk of their life. 

Meanwhile, Nick had driven Rosalee home from the spice shop and they relieved Bud and Wu of their babysitting duties. Bud went home and Wu went back to work. Monroe and Rosalee asked Nick to stick around for dinner. Knowing that Sean probably wouldn't come home that night, what with there finally being a lead in the case, Nick happily accepted his friends' invitation. They caught up with what had been happening in each other's lives. Monroe complained that he and Rosalee were outnumbered by the kids and it wasn't fair. Nick laughed and said that at least none of _their_ kids could telepathically start fires like Diana could - and had. Monroe and Rosalee shared a look when they heard Nick refer to Diana as one of his kids. They wondered if he even realized it. They asked him what it was like living with the captain and were amazed by the answer. 

"He's surprisingly gentle with the kids. He reads Diana a bedtime story whenever he can and he talks to Kelly like he actually understands what we're saying. Sean doesn't try to speak to him with 'goo goo gaga' or whatever baby talk everyone else uses with kids that age. Kelly loves when he plays with him. Honestly, the only time Sean doesn't look like the weight of the world is on his shoulders is when he's with the kids," Nick said before taking a sip of his raspberry lemonade. Monroe mouthed 'Sean, not Renard' to Rosalee, who shrugged and took a sip of her water. The look of disbelief on Monroe's face disappeared as soon as he saw that Nick was looking at him. 

"What's going on, Monroe?"

"What do you mean, Nick? You were just telling us about what your home life was like and we were... listening. Carefully." Monroe took a long sip of his drink and looked away to avoid eye contact with Nick. 

The grimm didn't seem to believe the blutbad, but decided to let it go for now. "Anyways, I think I should help out with this case. The sooner he solves it, the sooner we can return to a somewhat normal schedule. He missed breakfast with the kids this morning and he hasn't been able to put Diana to bed all week. She pretends like she doesn't mind, but she's a little girl; I'm sure she misses her daddy and wishes it were him tucking her in instead." Nick looked genuinely upset as he recounted these facts. 

Rosalee made a sympathetic face and gave Nick's shoulder a squeeze. Nick tried to smile, but it turned into a grimace as he realized that Sean would likely miss tonight's bedtime routine as well. Sighing, Nick gulped down the rest of his lemonade and prepared to take the kids home. Diana hugged Rosalee _and_ Monroe good night. She said she wanted to come visit again because the babies were so cute. Rosalee's smile couldn't get any bigger if she tried and Monroe seemed to puff up his chest in pride. The Burkhardt-Renard clan made their way out to Nick's car and waved goodbye as they drove away. Thankfully, the triplets were asleep and the house was blissfully quiet. Rosalee and Monroe sank down into the comfortable couch and savored the silence. They spoke quietly in at attempt to not awaken any of their kids.

"You know, I didn't think that Nick and Sean would be playing house quite so well. I figured it would last a week - two, tops - before they got ready to kill each other and Nick ended up moving out. I'm kinda impressed by how well they've adjusted to this awful situation."

"I know what you mean," Rosalee responded. "Nick's got a temper and Sean strikes me as someone who has a very particular way of doing things; I never imagined he'd tolerate someone invading his space and changing the carefree bachelor life he'd been living." 

"Well, I guess they realized they **had to** get along for the kids' sake. Besides, bachelor life isn't that great. Believe me, I wouldn't trade you and the kids for anything in the world!"

"Awww. Not even for some peace and quiet while you try to fix your clocks?"

"Not even if every bauerschwein would suddenly disappear with the snap of a finger... not if it meant losing you and our kids." 

The clockmaker leaned over and kissed his wife sweetly. They didn't have a lot of time to themselves anymore - not with 3 young babies to care for. But any small moment they could steal for themselves was treasured. Rosalee felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. She had found someone who loved her - flaws and all - and was a wonderful husband and a doting father. He was a good man, selfless and caring, but he wasn't a pushover. Rosalee was thankful that Monroe and her brother had been friends. She only wished Freddy were still here to see the life she had built and the love she had thanks to the blutbad.

Monroe wrapped an arm around Rosalee and pulled her into his side. She placed her head on his shoulder and sighed. A happy sigh... a sigh of contentment. Some days, the blutbad couldn't believe his luck. A smart, strong, beautiful, kind woman had fallen in love with him and decided to spend the rest of her life with him. The fierce fuchsbau was not to be messed with! Monroe felt like the luckiest man alive to have such an amazing wife who was also an incredible mother to their children. He wondered, briefly, what life would be like if he had never met Rosalee. He couldn't even imagine it! She was his everything and their family of five filled him to the brim with love. 

"We should try to get some sleep now. One of them will definitely be up in an hour, screaming to be fed or changed or just held." Rosalee yawned as she finished speaking and Monroe decided that sleep sounded perfect at that moment. They quietly made their way upstairs and fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too much Renhardt content this chapter, but I thought it would be nice to see some of the other people as well. I ADORE 😍 Monrosalee 😍 and wanted to give a glimpse of them as well. The next chapter should be up within a week. Thanks for being patient... and thank you for reading, commenting and leaving kudos!!!


	10. Chapter 10

In the end, in took another week and a half to find the killer. It turned out that the victim's roommate, Winona, was a huntha lami muuaji - the creature capable of shapeshifting and switching genders. No wonder the police hadn't been able to find the killer, despite him being right under their noses! Apparently, the roommate's male counterpart, William, was in love with the victim, but the governor's niece wasn't interested. So Winona suggested a little road trip - to get away from the guy harassing her - lulling her into a false sense of security. Once they were at the cabin, Winona woged and tried one more time to get the victim to go out with him, but she refused. Enraged, William took his frustrations out on her and beat her to death. 

As if in a trance, William was unable to stop himself, despite all her pleas for mercy. At least, that's what he told himself and Winona. She was furious with him and told him not to try and surface until the heat died down and they could move away without raising any suspicions. The night of the murder, it just so happened that they ran into a gedachtnis esser at a bar; the man was in need of money and thought he could make some quick cash by robbing drunk people. Unfortunately for him, he ran into Winona. When he tried to steal her money and her memories, she managed to escape his grasp by woging into William. The would-be-robber was so surprised that he couldn't react when William reached into Winona's purse and tased him. When he came to, he was tied up and William gave him a choice: help him cover his tracks or die. The pragmatic gedachtnis esser promptly agreed to help. He erased the short-term memories of everyone who had seen the victim and Winona together that night.

Facing enormous pressure from the governor **and** the public to solve this case as soon as possible, Sean relented and allowed Nick to help. Nick, in turn, recruited Monroe and Eve to aid in the search for the killer. Monroe spent a good 20 minutes sniffing every surface of the cabin, which had been thoroughly cleaned with bleach, until he found a faint whiff of perfume on the curtains. Eve managed to find some blood spatters and used a tracking spell to lead her to the killer. 

Everyone was surprised when the location turned out to be the victim's apartment. Seeing as how they didn't want to attract too much attention - what with the media circus in front of the building - the group slipped in through the back entrance. They knocked and were let into the apartment by Winona, who was surprised to see so many unfamiliar faces at her door. Hank explained that Nick was his partner and that Monroe and Eve were consultants that needed to take another look in the apartment to see if any clues might have been missed. Monroe wandered into the bathroom and was surprised to smell the same scent as the one from the cabin. When he came back into the living room to question her about it, Winona panicked and William emerged, attempting to fight his way out of the situation. But he was no match for Eve. 

Five minutes alone with her and he confessed to everything and even gave up his memory-erasing accomplice. Hank, Monroe and Nick didn't know - nor did they **want** to know - what Eve had done to procure the confession, but they were glad to have her on _their_ side. After injecting William with enough testosterone to make sure he couldn't woge back into Winona, Hank and Nick took William into custody. They called Wu on their way to the office and sent him the address to the motel where the accomplice was said to be staying. Eve accompanied him and they had no trouble getting the man to cooperate. Eve threatening him by telling him to surrender and cooperate, otherwise the grimm would come and 'take care of him', seemed to be enough to convince him to confess. 

Sean was more than happy to interrogate the suspects himself. His patience had worn thin during the past few weeks and he had the cameras turned off in the rooms so that he could woge in front of them and let them know who they were dealing with. There were no kehrseite here to fool. Honestly, the accomplice looked relieved to not be looking over his shoulder anymore. William had terrified him and he was willing to cut a deal if it meant less jail time. As far as the huntha lami muuaji was concerned, there were no more reasons to keep living as a free man. He had killed the love of his life and his other half was silenced by the injection of the testosterone. William confessed to everything and the police spun it as a tale of desperation... of a spurned would-be-suitor who committed a crime of passion. They couldn't exactly give out all of the details to the non-wesen public. The governor and his family were grateful to finally have some closure. 

That night, when Sean and Nick got home, they sat down to have a drink before checking on the kids. They stopped by Kelly's nursery first. The boy was fast asleep, without a care in the world, and smiling as if he was having a very good dream. Nick couldn't help himself; he picked the baby up and kissed him on the forehead, relieved that Kelly was safe and sound in his arms. Sean gently caressed Kelly's cheek with the back of his hand before he sighed and quietly left the room. He walked into Diana's room then and sat down in the chair facing her bed. Sean lost track of how long he sat there, watching his baby girl sleeping peacefully. At some point, Nick came into the room and whispered that he should go to bed. Sean reluctantly got up and gently kissed her cheek before walking out of her room. 

His body was aching and he needed to sleep in his own bed, get more than a few hours of sleep at a time, and be prepared to give a press conference in the morning. But right now, Sean couldn't even think about falling asleep. He walked downstairs to find Nick sitting at the kitchen table, a bowl of ice cream in front of him. When Nick looked up and saw Sean, he silently got up and brought another bowl and spoon over, scooping some ice cream into the bowl and wordlessly setting it down across from him, inviting Sean to have a seat. Sean gladly accepted and sat down, eating a few spoonfuls before clearing his throat. He knew Nick was waiting for him to start the conversation, giving him a chance to gather his thoughts first. 

"That monster killed the girl because he **loved** her. _Love_ made him to do this," Sean scoffed and dropped his spoon into his bowl in disgust. "How the _hell_ am I supposed to protect Diana from that? I know she's young and she's powerful, but love makes you blind and stupid. In a few years, she'll be dating and I can't put her in bubble wrap or ground her 'til she's 40. So how am I supposed to protect her from all the psychos in the world?" Sean's voice cracked as he asked his last question and Nick felt helpless. He didn't know what he could possibly say to make Sean feel better in this situation, so he decided to act instead. Slowly, so as not to spook him, Nick reached out and placed his hand on Sean's. The captain looked surprised and unsure whether to look at their hands or Nick's face; he settled for looking at Nick's face when the grimm finally began speaking. 

"Look, Sean, being a parent isn't easy; and being the parent of a girl seems doubly hard. I can't even _imagine_ how terrifying it must be. But she's safe, Sean. Right now, that little is safe and sound asleep in her bed. And you're here for her. And so am I. And **neither** of us is ever going to let anything bad happen to her. I promise you!" Nick gave Sean's hand a squeeze, as if to reiterate his promise to keep Diana safe. Sean knew that Nick was a man of his word, that this commitment to keeping his daughter safe was not made lightly. Sean looked into Nick's eyes, seeing the sincerity and conviction there. It was enough to make Sean breathe a sigh of relief. 

Nick moved his hand so it was no longer covering Sean's; instead, he slid it underneath Sean's palm and grabbed it. He stood up slowly and tugged on Sean's hand to follow him. At this point, Sean was too exhausted to refuse or to look too closely into the gesture. The zauberbiest allowed his grimm to lead him upstairs, neither men commenting on their joined hands. When they got to Sean's bedroom door, Nick finally released Sean's hand and turned to look at him. "Get some sleep, Sean. We caught the bad guys and the kids are safe. For tonight, that's more than enough." Nick wasn't sure what compelled him to reach out and hug Sean, but he didn't question it. The taller man stiffened at first at the unexpected contact, but soon he seemed to melt into the embrace. All to soon for Sean's liking, Nick stepped away, gave Sean's arm a squeeze and muttered a quiet good night before walking away. 

Somehow, Sean managed to change out of his suit before collapsing onto his bed. The mental, physical and emotional toll of solving this case had all seemingly caught up to him at once. Warring feelings of fear and hope momentarily plagued Sean; he was afraid for the kids' safety, but he was also hopeful that he wouldn't be dealing with everything by himself anymore. He had someone in his corner who was equally capable of protecting the kids. More importantly, he trusted Nick. And it seemed that Nick trusted him as well. More than that, he seemed to care about Sean. The bastard prince wasn't used to people giving a damn about him... unless he could do something for them; it was strange to think that someone **simply cared** about him. It shouldn't have made his heart clench the way it did. And sleep shouldn't have claimed him as easily that night as it managed to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally wrapped up the case! Sorry if it seems rushed. 😔 I needed to move on, but I couldn't just leave the case unsolved. 
> 
> At this point, I should probably add the "slow burn" tag; 10 chapters, almost 20,000 words, and all I've given you guys is a hug! *runs and hides*


	11. Chapter 11

It took a week to narrow down the choices of who the kids' nanny should be. In the end, the finalists were told that they would be given 2 days to demonstrate their abilities. The trial runs were mostly successful, with Kelly only crying when he was hungry or wanted to be picked up. Diana didn't seem particularly fond of any of the 3 nannies, but she didn't _dislike_ any of them either - and that was a major let off. The last thing Sean wanted was for Diana to casually **kill** the nanny - like she had his media relations director, Rachel Wood - just because she disliked the person. Sean and Nick had sat down with her and told her about controlling her emotions (and not hurting people!) and she seemed to understand how serious they were. 

Nick and Eve had observed all 3 nannies on the different days that they had spent watching the kids. Initially, they had been in another room, but the first nanny had suggested that they leave the house entirely to simulate the experience the kids will have when Nick and Sean both actually leave to go to work. Reluctantly, Nick had kissed the kids goodbye and got into his car and driven himself and Eve over to the nearest store with a parking lot. He turned on his laptop and watched the feeds from the cameras he had installed in the house. They were less than 5 minutes away, in case something went wrong and the nanny called him, but Nick figured that it couldn't hurt to keep an eye on things. 

After 2 hours, Eve sighed and turned to look at Nick. "So, this is what you're gonna do from now on? Just **watch** the kids on a live feed whenever you're not there with them?" The hexenbiest rolled her eyes when it seemed like Nick might argue.

The grimm cleared his throat and replied, "No. I just want to make sure we pick the right person to take care of our kids. Sean's worried about them getting hurt or Diana hurting the nanny - accidentally or otherwise. I don't think we should hire this eisbiber. As nice as she is, she's a little too flighty. I mean, sure, she's great with kids that are behaving well, but I don't think she could handle a misbehaving Diana."

"I don't think **anyone** could handle a misbehaving Diana," Eve pointed out. "Besides, she's got glowing letters of reference from her previous employers. I'm sure those kids acted out sometimes. She probably handled them well."

Nick sighed. "But what if someone tries to hurt the kids? Can she protect them? Eisbibers aren't exactly known for their courage."

"Yeah, well, they're not always cowardly like a mauzhertz. An eisbiber can be brave... sort of; just look at Bud!" 

Nick gave Eve an 'are you kidding me' look that had her pouting. She was just trying to help. And Nick knew that; he appreciated it, but he still didn't think it was a good idea to hire an eisbiber.

The next candidate was a lowen, and he was definitely not afraid of anything. The lowen was friendly enough, but seemed to have a quick temper. Although he mostly kept calm, Nick did notice - thanks to the cameras - that he had to keep taking calming breaths every time something wasn't done to his liking. It was almost as if he was willing himself not to explode and say or do something that might cost him the job. Despite the fact that he would provide better protection in case of an attack, Nick didn't want a wesen with potential anger issues to be caring for his children. Eve agreed. 

Finally, the last candidate got her turn. The fuchsbau was smart, funny and didn't scare easily. Kelly seemed to take to her and Diana actually spoke to her, without being prompted. Nick figured that that was as good an indication as any that she was the right fit for the job. Not only did she manage to get Diana to interact with her, but she even got Kelly to eat all of his food. And when she had taken them to the park and some kid had pushed Diana down, she immediately intervened. She spoke to Diana and calmed her down. She then went over to the kid and said something that made him gasp and then run away crying. When the kid's mom looked over at her, the nanny had a 'don't mess with my kid' look on her face. Nick and Eve were impressed that she managed to keep Diana from hurting someone or exposing wesen to the kehrseite at the park. They offered her the job before she left that night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eve was happy to see that the kids were doing well. She asked Nick if he was having any trouble co-parenting with Sean and his reaction shocked her. Nick had laughed and then looked down, as if remembering something; the the tips of his ears turned red. He cleared his throat before replying that everything was fine - better than fine, actually - between him and Sean and that they were on the same page when it came to the kids. Eve wondered what had made Nick blush, but she didn't feel like prodding. She was about to ask him how he felt about returning to work in a few days when the front door opened. 

Sean walked in and tossed his keys in the little bowl he kept for that purpose in the foyer. He placed his attaché down on the floor before hanging his coat up. He picked up the mail and quickly sorted them before deciding there was nothing that required his immediate attention. Sean loosened his tie and walked toward the kitchen and stopped in his tracks when he saw Eve there. She was sitting across from Nick and there was a bottle of wine open on the table. It was Juliette's favorite kind. He wondered if it was also Eve's favorite wine. 

"Hey, Sean. You're home late," she casually mentioned. 

"Actually, he's usually home this late," Nick cut in before Sean could reply.

"Oh. So **you** normally cook, clean and put the kids to bed before he shows up?" she asked Nick. There was a hint of amusement in Eve's voice as she asked the question. Sean felt his hackles rise at the implication that Nick was doing all the work while he was just kissing the kids good night. 

"Yes, well, there's a lot of things to do as a police captain. I'm responsible for all of the people that work under me and I have to answer to the higher-ups that oversee me - not to mention the public that demand answers even when I don't have them," Sean finished in a hurried breath.

"We get it. It's a very stressful job and you're doing the best you can. Honestly, I'm not sure how you're keeping it together." Nick looked at Sean with so much sincerity as he spoke that Sean immediately felt guilty for assuming that Nick must have felt the same way as Eve did. "Can I get you glass?" Nick picked up the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon that he had been sharing with Eve.

"Not right now. I'm tired. I think I'll just head to bed. Enjoy your night, you two." 

When Sean turned around to make his way out of kitchen, he heard the scrape of a chair and footsteps following him. He was almost to the stairs when Nick called out to him. "Sean. Have you eaten? I made you a plate. It's in the fridge. I can heat it up for you. You can join me and Eve. We were just discussing the nanny we chose. Yes, I **finally** chose one. Want to hear what she did at the park?" Nick kept speaking, despite the fact that Sean had stopped but clearly hadn't turned around. He didn't seem to be taking the hint; Sean pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly before turning around. 

"I ate," Sean lied. "And I really am exhausted. I just wanna get some sleep. But you and Eve don't need to stop on my account. Have fun! Don't drink too much though... the hangover will be a bitch when Kelly starts screaming and crying in the morning." He was half way up the stairs when he stopped and turned to look back; Nick was still rooted to the spot, watching him go. "Sorry for interrupting your evening. Just send me a text next time you have company over." Sean quickly faced forward again and all but ran up the stairs. 

Nick was dumbfounded by Sean's behavior and his little speech. _What was he talking about? He wasn't interrupting anything._ Nick was just hanging out with Eve, his friend. Why would that bother Sean? Nick was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't even hear Eve approach him. His grimm super hearing hadn't warned him and he jumped when her hand landed on his shoulder. Eve smirked at his reaction and held up her hands in the universal sign of surrender, palms open and indicating that she wasn't a threat. It was then that Nick noticed that Eve was wearing her green coat. _She must be heading out. Had she tried to say goodbye? Had he not heard her?_

"It's been fun, Nick, but I think I'm gonna head home. Give you guys a chance to talk and sort this out."

"Sort what out?" Nick asked. The genuine confusion on his face told her that he couldn't see what she so clearly could. Sean was **jealous**. He had seen Eve and Nick hanging out, late at night, a bottle of wine and easy smiles and assumed that something was going on. Perhaps because of Nick's history with Juliette. Or perhaps because he couldn't see that Nick was looking at him the same way that he was looking at Nick. Although, they were mostly stealing glances when they thought the other wasn't looking; that might have something to do with it. 

Eve smiled and shook her head. "I can't spell it out for you. You're just gonna have to figure this one out on your own. Or better yet, talk to Sean; maybe you can figure it out together." With that, Eve left the house. Nick stood there, baffled - for the second time that night - by the reaction of someone to something he didn't understand. _What was Eve talking about? And why had Sean practically ran up the stairs to get away from him earlier?_ Nick had no clue and decided that he was in no mood to try and decipher the strange behavior of the hexenbiest or the zauberbiest. He returned to the kitchen and rinsed out the wine glasses and put the bottle away before heading upstairs. Nick would get to the bottom of this tomorrow, when he could think properly and possibly get some answers out of Sean; he was sure he wouldn't get anything out of Eve. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I do research before I write these chapters and I'm kind of exhausted after writing this one. 😭 I looked through so many different wesen before settling for the ones I chose (and 2 of them were very familiar ones since Bud is an eisbiber and Rosalee is a fuchsbau)!!! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though there's not much Renhardt action. 💙💙💙 I promise it's coming up soon. 😘


	12. Chapter 12

Rosalee poured herself a cup of tea and added some milk and sugar. Eve declined both and asked for some honey for her tea instead. It wasn't often that the ladies gathered when there wasn't an emergency or lives at stake. It was nice to just hang out and not worry about impending doom all the time. Rosalee couldn't remember the last time she and the hexenbiest had spent the day together by themselves... although, to be fair, it wasn't just the 2 of them at the house. The triplets were there, after all. Thankfully, they were all napping. 

"So, how are the kids?" Eve asked after blowing on her tea to cool it down. 

"Well, Freddy, Felix and Fiona are sleeping. **Thank God!** So, we have at least an hour before one of them wakes up and starts screaming bloody murder." Rosalee laughed, but there was a slight edge of... something in her voice that let Eve know that she was dreading the moment one of the babies would wake up and shatter the peace in the house. 

Eve figured a little spell to keep the kids sleeping would be harmless enough. So she closed her eyes and performed a wordless incantation. She then turned her attention back to Rosalee. "How did you guys come up with the names for the kids?"

Rosalee smiled as she remembered. "Well, Felix is named after Monroe's favorite uncle and Freddy is named after my brother. I mean, he's the whole reason I came to Portland. Without Freddy, I would've never met Monroe and we wouldn't be happily married right now; and we wouldn't have these 3 little bundles of joy. And since we had given the boys names that start with 'F' it just made sense to do the same for the girl. Although, we did spend a few days arguing over Francis or Francesca or Faith or Felicity or Farah or Freya... honestly, I was ready to strangle him when he mentioned Fiona and it just... felt right."

"That's beautiful," Eve replied. "Personally I would've gone with 'J' names."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I really like Jonathan and Jordan. Maybe even Jason. And Jennifer for a girl."

"So, no names that start with 'N'? How would Nick feel about that?"

"Why would Nick have any say in what I name my kids?"

"I mean, Nick and Juliette's kids should-"

"Juliette's dead. And Nick and I aren't together. There's nothing romantic going on between Nick and **Eve**."

There was a sudden shift in the mood; Rosalee realized her mistake and immediately wished she could take it back. 

"Of course not. I'm so sorry, Eve. I didn't mean-" Rosalee sighed and tried to organize her thoughts before she said something else that would make the situation worse. 

Eve decided to put her out of her misery. "It's fine. I'm not mad. I get it... I have Juliette's face. You knew her for years. You were friends with her. Of course you think of her when you look at me. But I'm NOT her. I'm not in love with Nick. And Nick's not in love with **me**. Hell, he's not even aware of his feelings."

Rosalee's brows knit together in confusion. "What do you mean?" 

"I really shouldn't- it's not my place to say anything." Eve sighed when Rosalee gave her that look, the look that said 'come on, you can trust me.' "I don't think even Nick realizes how he feels about Sean and Sean definitely-"

"Oh. My. God. Sean? SEAN?!?" Rosalee clapped a hand over her mouth after her sudden yell. She lowered her voice and attempted to whisper, but her eyes were as huge as saucers and betrayed her calm exterior. "Nick has feelings for Sean? **Romantic** ones?" The fuchsbau looked shocked. 

"I mean, he hasn't said it in as many words, but their behavior the other night pretty much confirmed it for me. Who knows how long it'll take them to figure it out." Eve shrugged and took another sip of her tea, suddenly wishing she were drinking something stronger. 

"This is insane. I mean, they literally tried to kill each other a few years ago."

"Love is strange. It doesn't make any sense! Before they got together, would you have ever imagined Nick and **Adalind** falling in love? Especially after she tried to kill his aunt and tricked him into sleeping with her?"

"You've got a point there," Rosalee mused. "Still, it's just so bizarre." 

"Is it? Or is it the most logical thing that could've happened? Two people who both love to protect and serve, who both love their children, who both faced a terrible loss recently, who both respect and admire each other, who live together and have gotten to know each other better recently, who are clearly attracted to each other - even if they're not aware or willing to admit to it yet. I don't know... they kinda seem perfect for each other." Eve smiled into her teacup. 

Surprised by the news and Eve's depiction of Nick and Sean's situation, Rosalee takes a minute to sit and process the information that Eve just provided to her. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Just as she was about to tell Eve that she agreed, her cell phone rang. Monroe was calling, probably to check on her and the kids. Mouthing a quick apology, she quickly picked up the call and walked into the kitchen. After she reassured him that everything was fine, Rosalee hung up so she could continue her conversation with Eve. However, when she returned to the living room, the hexenbiest was gone. There was a note scribbled on a writing pad next to the empty teacup. Eve had to leave suddenly because Trubel had called her and needed some help. Rosalee hoped it wasn't anything too serious. 

Amazed that the house was still quiet, Rosalee went upstairs to the nursery to check on the triplets. She was pleasantly surprised to see them napping peacefully. They looked like angels, swaddled in their fluffy blankets and smiling in their sleep. She resisted the urge to pick them up and hold them close to her chest. She would get to do that when they woke up. For now, she gently kissed Fiona, Freddy and Felix on their tiny foreheads and tiptoed downstairs. She pondered Nick and Sean's situation and wondered when they might figure it out and who might make the first move. She doubted she could talk to Sean about it, but maybe she could get Monroe to talk to Nick about his feelings for Sean. Yes, that would have to do. After all, what are friends for if not to gently nudge you in the direction of your (possible) soulmate? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know: this doesn't pass the Bechdel test AND neither Sean nor Nick are in this chapter. 😭😭😭 And I'm two days late posting this (I had intended to upload it on International Women's Day, but things came up. 🤦♀️)!!!
> 
> I hope you guys still enjoyed this chapter! 💙💙💙 I really wanted to give these lovely ladies some more "screen" time by dedicating an entire chapter to them. 
> 
> P.S. If you're watching Bitsie on her new show "Superman and Lois," you'll understand why I mention the names Jonathan and Jordan. 😉


End file.
